New CSO figures show there has been a 56% increases in cases of abandonment of a child, child neglect and cruelty.
The crime figures for 2016 document the large rise.
Almost 100 more cases were reported last year when compared with 2015.
Tanya Ward, Chief Executive of the Children's Rights Alliance, says it may be because of an increase in the number of social workers: “It’s a very stark increase and it would suggest that suddenly there has been a big increase in child abandonment and neglect against children.
“But actually if we look behind those figures, it could relate to the fact that we have an increase in the number of social workers, who are responding to child protection referrals through Children First and who are also doing assessment of needs of children and families in their homes.”